Govt decides to abolish 80,000 posts

ISLAMABAD: The government has taken principled decision for abolishing around 80,000 posts of federal ministries/divisions and departments concerned which have been lying vacant for more than one year, The News has learnt.

Official documents and background interviews told this scribe that after taking this principled decision, now the Finance Division has recommended for seeking approval of the federal cabinet to execute it under Rules of Business 1973.

It also referred this matter to Establishment Division for proceeding further on this subject. The salary and pension bill of the federal government has ballooned in recent years and the government is finding ways to slash the salary/pension bill, which has come close to Rs1 trillion rupees for the current fiscal year.

According to Official Memorandum issued by Ministry of Finance on Wednesday, a copy of which is available with The News stating that during the 34th meeting of the Cabinet Implementation Committee for the re-organisation of federal government held in May and decision taken on June 4, 2020 whereby it was decided that “the Committee directed the Finance Division to abolish all posts that have remained vacant for more than one year in BPS-1 to BPS-16 in all ministries/divisions and executive departments.”

The Office Memorandum further stated that the number of employees in the federal government increased consistently during the last decade and due to this the annual salary bill has increased by three folds and pension bill is becoming unmanageable. Further, the structure of the federal government is lopsided with 95 percent employees in BS-1 to 16 consuming 85 percent of the total salary bill.

It may be added here that it has been desired by the Prime Minister Office and the World Bank that governance apparatus may be right sized and smart and unnecessary expenditures be curtailed.

The matter has been examined by the Finance Division which is of the opinion that the decision of abolition of vacant posts in BS-1 to 16 is new policy recommendations in terms of Rule 16 (j) of Rules of Business 1973, the recommendation of Implementation Committee are required to be submitted to the Federal Cabinet for approval after seeking permission of the prime minister.

The recommendations unless approved by the federal cabinet shall have no legal backing. Further, the implementation of the subject matter should be in accordance with the Rule 24 and Rule 11 of Rules of Business 1973. According to the Rules of Business 1973, the relevant division to comply/execute the decision is Establishment Division. The Establishment Division is, therefore, requested to proceed further.

One official of Finance Division when contacted said that there was no rationale to keep those posts, which were not filled in last one year so it was decided in principle that all such posts in BPS-1 to 16 would be abolished with the approval of competent authority.